Tint tickets are a bitch...a buddy of mine had a yellow Evo with relatively low tint, he got four tint tickets in about a two month span. The first three times he drove to the highway patrol testing station and paid about as much as the ticket would have been to have them verify the level. He had to keep going back because the magistrate said that he'd had ample time since the last test was done to re-tint (despite the fact that by the time the fourth ticket rolled in he had three identical printouts over a month and a half)...after the fourth ticket he threw in the towel and had the tint removed.

One thing you may not have considered is most auto glass comes from the factory with a UV tint that can throw off testing equipment...I want to say I've heard it can add as much as 10% to whatever film you've had installed, and then combine that with the accuracy of a handheld testing device (which I'm sure are +/- 5% at the least.) Attracting law enforcement has always been the driving factor behind me not having my windows tinted.

Oh, odds are they'll just throw out the $50 fine and you'll still have to pay "court costs." There are few cases in which they throw out court costs, which is total BS - if you're innocent its not your fault that the cop wrote a faulty ticket, and its not like it costs the court over $100 to process a traffic ticket.

 

And this is why I do not tint my windows as well, too many friends getting tickets for their tinted windows.

 

I have a doctors slip to have window tint due to my overly sensitive eyes. For years I would wear my sunglasses whenever I was outside, so my eyes became very sensitive to light. After going to the eye doctors for a checkup and having him say that I have sensitive eyes, I got a note and tinted the windows. I have only been pulled over once, and I showed my slip, and the officer said to have a nice day and sorry for the inconvience.

The main reason for getting the tint was to protect my Recaro's from the sun, which is silly because the sun doesn't shine in Michigan anymore. The doctors slip just keeps everything legal in case I get stopped. You may be able to see if you can get a slip from your doctor and reverse the ticket. My brother did that when he got stopped. He did not have the slip at the time of being stopped, but had it for the court date.

Other option, do what my sister in law does, just flirt with the officer and say that you did not know tint was illegal or that it is your dad's car and you are just borrowing it. She gets out of more tickets using those excuses than anyone I have ever met!

 

Most windows come from the factory with some minor amount of tint on, usually like 8 - 10%, so that when you add 20% tint to them it brings it down to the 12 - 15% range.
Numbers are very vague but according to the MVA here that is the explanation for the difference in tint from what someone says they put on to what it actually is.

I had a guy put on 35% tint, which is legal here and got a ticket. Took the reciept to court to show what he did and still lost the case.

 

One thing you may not have considered is most auto glass comes from the factory with a UV tint that can throw off testing equipment...I want to say I've heard it can add as much as 10% to whatever film you've had installed, and then combine that with the accuracy of a handheld testing device (which I'm sure are +/- 5% at the least.) Attracting law enforcement has always been the driving factor behind me not having my windows tinted.

Oh, odds are they'll just throw out the $50 fine and you'll still have to pay "court costs." There are few cases in which they throw out court costs, which is total BS - if you're innocent its not your fault that the cop wrote a faulty ticket, and its not like it costs the court over $100 to process a traffic ticket.

Yeah I totally forgot about the "solor tint" thing but it was pitch black outside. :dunno: Let see, stock zx3 windows read at 74%, mine read at 13% with a 20% tint.

I have a doctors slip to have window tint due to my overly sensitive eyes. For years I would wear my sunglasses whenever I was outside, so my eyes became very sensitive to light. After going to the eye doctors for a checkup and having him say that I have sensitive eyes, I got a note and tinted the windows. I have only been pulled over once, and I showed my slip, and the officer said to have a nice day and sorry for the inconvience.

That works but not necassarily in my case. :lol: I was in the wrong so I am not going to try to sneak my way out of it haha.

Other option, do what my sister in law does, just flirt with the officer and say that you did not know tint was illegal or that it is your dad's car and you are just borrowing it. She gets out of more tickets using those excuses than anyone I have ever met!

The doesn't really work when your name is on the registration. :lol: And um the cop was a dude, so am I.

-spatakula

 

They just passed a law last year that you can't approach the DA before your scheduled court date to have any tickets "dropped" beforehand. This is to ensure that even though the fine might be thrown out, they still collect revenue through the cost of court, which they'll make you pay for showing up.

 

You were in Lowes Parking lot when this happened? I didn't realize a cop can write a ticket on private property for such a petty bs infraction.

My windows are tinted at 5%...lol If I get pulled over in the city I live in I'm pretty sure I will get it dropped as I know a few SWAT officers. I do their vehicle graphics...lol

 

You were in Lowes Parking lot when this happened? I didn't realize a cop can write a ticket on private property for such a petty bs infraction.

My windows are tinted at 5%...lol If I get pulled over in the city I live in I'm pretty sure I will get it dropped as I know a few SWAT officers. I do their vehicle graphics...lol

You're right.

If you were in the parking lot when he stopped you, and not on the street, he doesn't have the standing to give you a ticket...

 

You're right.

If you were in the parking lot when he stopped you, and not on the street, he doesn't have the standing to give you a ticket...

Unless he witnessed you on the street..... but even as such, unless you are the property owner, and lacking any evidence that you transported yourself to the lowes parking lot on a tow, then you're not gonna get outta it on that ground. The officer has reasonable cause to believe you were on the public roadway at some point. Kinda like when you're driving home after one too many, pull over and stop to sleep it off. If you're not at your house (or the house you were partying at) and you're not in front of the bar you were patronizing (or within a reasonable walking distance).... then theres reason to believe you've operated a vehicle illegally.

 

Ok, I was pulling into Lowe's while he was waiting to pull out. I pass him, pull into a parking spot, get out of the car, and start walking into the store. Then he turns around, turns his lights on, and stops behind me, while I am standing there wondering what the heck I did wrong.

But yes, he witnessed me driving on the main road right before turning into the plaza.

-spatakula

 

20% tint plus ford's (blue pigmented) "tint" (I forget what they call it sun-shades or something), makes sense it would read that low. Sucks man, just take it were you got it tinted have them remove and reinstall it a few days later.

 

In most states when you choose to contest the ticket, you waive your "right" to pay the original fine. What that means is the judge can therefore assign any fine he feels like. I watched a kid in court argue with the judge over a pretty legitmate point but he pissed the judge off in the process. Once the kid realized he was doomed he asked to be dimissed and he would pay the original fine. The judge told him, "no dice", found him guilty, and fined him about three times the original amount.

Sucks you got cited but thats the hazard of driving a tuner car with dark tint. I've found out the hard way a few times and have finally resigned to using legal tint on my fast cars. But I've never been hassled over illegal tint on my daily drivers......probably because they don't stand out.

I doubt highly you can get the charge dropped but look at it this way. Show up to court like the cop said with the note about the tint being removed and the car being legal. At this point, one of three things happen. You wind up paying the full amount, you wind up only paying court fees, or the cop doesn't show and you don't pay anything. Those are better odds than just sending teh moniez in the mail.

Oh and as far as removing glue from the windows goes. Straight ammonia in a squirt bottle and a razor blade. Trust me....comes right off......but don't use the razor blade on the rear window if you want a functioning defrost grid.

 

Ok, I was pulling into Lowe's while he was waiting to pull out. I pass him, pull into a parking spot, get out of the car, and start walking into the store. Then he turns around, turns his lights on, and stops behind me, while I am standing there wondering what the heck I did wrong.

But yes, he witnessed me driving on the main road right before turning into the plaza.

-spatakula

So wait you were already outside of your car and walking away when he started??

 

^
Even if the cop doesn't show up he'll almost undoubtedly have to pay the court costs. The only cases I've heard of where they waive the costs is when a ticket is flagrantly false, such as the officer writing a ticket for doing 200 MPH over the speed limit when its not physically possible for the car to go that fast, falsifying the report, etc.

Its how they make their money. Win or lose they still get something...why do you think that court costs typically make up over 60% of a traffic ticket?

 

7 bucks in the great keystone state.

 

So wait you were already outside of your car and walking away when he started??

Yes.

I figured, if anything, I would get the fine of $50 fine taken off the total, then stuck with the court costs.

-spatakula

 

raleigh area cops are punks like any other cops at the end of the month. he was just looking to make quota. ive heard of people having pics of the car before the tint and showing that to the DA or judge or whatever and getting out. but i dont have my windows tinted yet so i dont know

 

raleigh area cops are punks like any other cops at the end of the month. he was just looking to make quota. ive heard of people having pics of the car before the tint and showing that to the DA or judge or whatever and getting out. but i dont have my windows tinted yet so i dont know

Yeah, it was a Garner cop.

-spatakula

 

That sucks man. I would just strip the 2 front ones and have 35 put on them and keep the 20 in the rear.

As for the ticket, they may still make you pay court costs, but I'm not totally sure.

I've got 20% all the way around on my car and when I went back to NC to visit family, I never got hassled at all over the tint.

You just crossed paths with a cop who wanted to write SOMEONE a ticket to show that he wasn't in a parking lot sleeping all day.



dave.

 

raleigh area cops are punks like any other cops at the end of the month. he was just looking to make quota. ive heard of people having pics of the car before the tint and showing that to the DA or judge or whatever and getting out. but i dont have my windows tinted yet so i dont know

COPS DO NOT HAVE QUOTAS. Quotas are against the law.

dave.

 

That sucks man. I would just strip the 2 front ones and have 35 put on them and keep the 20 in the rear.

As for the ticket, they may still make you pay court costs, but I'm not totally sure.

I've got 20% all the way around on my car and when I went back to NC to visit family, I never got hassled at all over the tint.

You just crossed paths with a cop who wanted to write SOMEONE a ticket to show that he wasn't in a parking lot sleeping all day.



dave.

I was hoping you would chime in.

Steven and I were bs'ing with the officer afterwards. He said that for a 2 door passanger vehicle, even the back side windows have to be within the 32+% range. He said that in a van, truck, or 4door+ vehicle it doesn't matter what the sides are. That really makes a ton of sense.

On my way home from work I counted 23 different cars with questionable tinting on the front windows. It was a Garner cop. Like I said above, I think it was a slow night...

-spatakula

 

COPS DO NOT HAVE QUOTAS. Quotas are against the law.

dave.

Riiiiiggght...

They also claim that their batons aren't for beating people...

Also, in some states it is still legal for a department to mandate each officer to issue X tickets per week/month, and in states that it is illegal there is nothing stopping the department from saying "I want to see everyone issue X tickets this month...this will come up on your yearly review."

 

Riiiiiggght...

They also claim that their batons aren't for beating people...

Also, in some states it is still legal for a department to mandate each officer to issue X tickets per week/month, and in states that it is illegal there is nothing stopping the department from saying "I want to see everyone issue X tickets this month...this will come up on your yearly review."

Dude....why don't you do a little research on the topic before you start spouting BS out of your ass.


Their job is to write tickets and enforce the law. If you get a ticket, then he saw something to stop you and ticket you over.

Period.

The anti-quota law was put in place to protect the citizens from being ticketed for not breaking any laws. If they did in fact have quotas, don't you think they'd be pulling a lot more people over?

They MUST write tickets because it's their job. If they don't write tickets, what do you think happens?

If you work at a Burger Joint and you don't do your job...what do you think happens to you?

The same thing happens to them.

Police are paid a salary, not a commission and most of their salary isn't paid by normal tax money like so many others would assume, but in fact, they are paid by Property Taxes from the city or town.

I've been friends with a lot of cops in my day and I know for a fact that they DO NOT have quotas.

http://www.pe.com/columns/on_the_road/stories/PE_News_Local_D_traffic18.38d1adc.html

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/1989/04/04-04-89tdc/04-04-89dnews-06.asp

At the end of every month, many local residents claim to see more police on the road ticketing for speed limit violations - trying to fill what some students and citizens say may be a quota system.


But local police departments say officers are not required to issue a minimum number of tickets and do not operate under a quota system.


The state legislature in 1981 passed a law outlawing the imposition of quota systems on police officers. And rumors to the contrary, Rockview State Police Corporal James Aikins says, hold absolutely no truth.


In his 21 years as a trooper, Aikins said, he never heard of a quota system at Rockview.

The number of traffic citations issued is one of several criteria used to evaluate officers' total job performance, Aikins said. Written warnings and completed reports are other items of evaluation, he said.


If a pattern of low performance appears in all areas, the officer is interviewed and asked why he or she is falling behind. If the pattern continues, a supervisor will monitor the officer to determine what is wrong.


In the extreme, when deliberate poor performance can be proven, a case is brought against the officer.


"We look at the total picture," Aikins said.


State College police are presently developing a formal evaluation system to be completed around the end of the month, said Theresa McElwain, director of special services for the State College Bureau of Police Services.


Until then, borough police will continue keeping statistics on officers' performances, but not rank them, she said.


Officers are not evaluated by the number of tickets written, McElwain said. Evaluations, she said, are based on a wide range of police activities.

dave.

 

I was hoping you would chime in.

Steven and I were bs'ing with the officer afterwards. He said that for a 2 door passanger vehicle, even the back side windows have to be within the 32+% range. He said that in a van, truck, or 4door+ vehicle it doesn't matter what the sides are. That really makes a ton of sense.

On my way home from work I counted 23 different cars with questionable tinting on the front windows. It was a Garner cop. Like I said above, I think it was a slow night...

-spatakula

That sounds funny to me, but if that's how he interprets the law, then that's how it is...:lol:

It may be because SUV's are now coming with 20% in the rear from the factory.

I was looking at the tint laws for NC and sure enough, they say 35% all the way around. I could have sworn that a few years ago it was 35 on the fronts and any % on the rears...but then again, I could be mistaken.

Texas is VERY flexible for tint laws. Like I said before, I have 20% all the way around and I've never been hassled or pulled over for it. I believe that the reason that TX is so flexible is because of the extreme heat here and the proven fact that tint has been shown to decrease temps inside the vehicle.

dave.

 

I just took my ticket in and paid it off I still have my tint on and havent been pulled over its been like 2 years. I knew if I went to court they would make me take it off and I dont want to. So I paid it! And will also do so if I get another one. I usually pay all my tickets off instead of going to court.

-Ashley